Stories from Gus Adams, published in Tifton Gazette, Tift Co. GA
Henderson Family
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
J. E. (Edd) Dorminey edorminey@dishmail.net
Around the "turn of the Century" (1912) there was a man by the name of
Gus Adams (friends called him "Pat") who lived near Chula, Tift County,
GA with several families. First with William and Louisa Jane Branch and
then at the home of some of their grown children. After a while he moved
in with the D.H. Hogan family. Gus was from Brooklyn, New York and came
to Georgia about 1878 where he followed his occupation as a painter and
decorator. While residing and working around the Chula area, he went from
home to home and knew all the old residents of this section and visited
with them. He attended family reunions, annual meetings and celebrations,
and his writings of these gatherings were an interesting feature of the
"Tifton Gazette" in Tifton Georgia for many years. Gus died in 1933.
These stories live on to tell some very interesting histories of the
different families of the area. Look especially at the "Whiddon" write
up as it is very interesting in relation to the Dorminy family and
where they originated.
SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION
Bob Morrell was editor of the Tifton Gazette 30 years ago when he and his
wife Betty discovered and salvaged these genealogies from some old Tifton
Gazette papers that were crumbling and falling apart from being exposed to
age, dust, South Georgia heat and humidity. Betty took these old papers and
copied the Gus Adams genealogies onto "teletype" paper on her typewriter.
She said that during the process the act of turning the pages would tear the
brittle newsprint and she had to have something placed under them to turn
them or they would crumble in her hands. If she hadn^t saved these family
histories, they would have been lost forever as no other source has been
found that has copies of these articles except the one on the Paulk^s and
part of the one on the Dorminy family which we obtained from another source
CAUTION!!! Please be aware that Mr. Adams did not have the benefit of
a computer to cross check his information. He has a LOT of mistakes in
these histories but if you use them, and are aware of this fact, you
can benefit by having a starting point. Do not use this information as
your final reference . I know for a fact that a lot of Dorminy
information as well as other information is partially WRONG so to be
forwarned is to be forarmed.
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Tifton Gazette
Jan. 25, 1912
Vol. XXI No. 38
THE HENDERSON'S
John, Dan, Menassee, Margaret, Sarah, Mary, Betsy, Christie, and Kate
Henderson were among the first settlers of Irwin County.
They came from North Carolina, and were of Scotch descent.
John married Rhoda Whitley, sister of old Wiley Whitley, of Lauren's
County. Their children were: John Jackson, Robert, Dan and Thoda.
They settled at Willacoochee Creek close to where James Sutton now
lives, about 6 miles east of Ocilla.
John Jackson (son of John)was born August 27th, 1827 in the second
district. He taught school at the site where William F. Paulk's
residence is now located. Among his pupils were Thomas Young, of
Coffee County, recently deceased, and other prominent men.
He married Susie Whiddon, daughter of old Lott, in 1859. They settled
on the place now occupied by Wm. F. Paulk, where they remained several
years, then moved to Sycamore, on the place settled by old Lott
Whiddon, where John Jackson died in 1920. He was engaged in the
mercantile business and general farming. He served as a Captain in the
Confederate army in the war between the states; was a member of the
Methodist church and a Mason of high rank.
The children of John Jackson and Susie were: Jim, George, Judy, Jane,
Duncan, Sarah, Susie and Unie.
Jim, son of John Jackson, represents Turner county in the Legislature
and is a successful merchant and banker. He married Babe Young and
their children were Abe and Albert.
Abe was killed at Sycamore by Jehu Smith.
Albert married Miss Adams, daughter of Homer.
George, son of John Jackson, married Josie Simms. He died, leaving a
widow and one child, Carl, who died also.
Duncan, son of John Jackson, died.
Judy, daughter of John Jackson, married Howard Story.
Susie, daughter of John Jackson, married Alex Story. Their son, John
Story, is an attorney at law at Ashburn.
Jane married Abraham Clements, he is dead.
Sarah married James I. Clements.
Unie, daughter of John Jackson, married Hon. Thomas B. Young, father
of J.H. Young.
Robert, son of old John Henderson, married Lizzie Paulk. She died in
Texas, leaving a son, William.
Their daughter, Narcissa, married Malcolm McMillan of Brookfield.
Robert spent several years in Texas, and after his return to Georgia
he married Mrs. Harrell, a sister of I.P., I.W. and I.S. Bowen.
Dan, son of old John Henderson, married Becky Tucker. Their children
were: Grace, Mary, Millie, John, Newton and Jasper.
Grace married Joe Sutton; he died; no children. She next married Peter
Solomon.
Mary married Joe Swilley; their children were: Blansett, Becky, Annie
and Isham.
Millie married Boy Purvis; he died. She then married Jim Brogdon;
their children were Unie and Newton.
John, son of Dan, married Sibbie Gray. Their children : Leacy, Duncan,
Dan, John, Thoda, Albert, Jim, Ashley, Menassee and Annie.
Duncan married Winnie Edge.
John married Miss Clements.
Leacy married Henry Jernigan.
Jim married Miss Gay.
Thoda died; the rest are single.
Newton, son of Dan, married Holland Cobb. Their children are: Joe,
Ida, John, Mattie and Albert.
Joe married Sarah McMillan, daughter of Tom.
Ida married John McMillan, son of Red Malcolm.
Jasper, son of Dan, died.
Thoda, daughter of John Henderson, married Jacob Paulk; he died. ( In
the Paulk Group).
Dan, brother of John, Menassee and the other Hendersons, was one of
the first jurors of Irwin county, serving as a petit juror in the
first court held in Irwin.
He married Fareby Whiddon, daughter of old Lott Whiddon,who
accompanied her parents from Emanuel county when the Indians had
possession of this county and the beasts of the forest roamed at will.
When her parents lived within a mile of Irwinville, her mother, Mrs.
Judea Whiddon, called upon a sick child at the home of Mr. Jim
Wallace, where Irwinville now stands. On her return, as she was
crossing a branch on a foot-log, she felt the jarring of the log,
caused by the spring of an approaching panther. But the animal scented
other prey and did not molest them, the mother and child escaping
without any trouble except the excitement and anxiety of the mother.
Dan Henderson and wife settled at the place now occupied by Need
Purvis, near the Alapaha river, where Menassee was born. He then moved
west of Sycamore, across Little River, and settled within one mile of
Pleasant Hill church. It was then a log house, which was utilized for
school and church purposes. The congregation afterwards built a new
meeting-house East of Sycamore, where it now stands, on the east side
of Little River, several miles away from the old location.
At the new home of the Henderson's, several children first saw the
light of day. Among them were: William, John, Green, Dan, Jim, Robert,
Albert, Mary, Margaret and Martha.
They remained on the place until the older children were grown and
some of them married, when they took up their abode at Isabella for
several years, where the younger children received their education and
where Dan represented Worth county in the legislature. They returned
to their old home near Pleasant Hill church site. When old Dan's
health began to fail, and they decided to cross both Little and
Alapaha rivers, to a place where Dan had purchased land, where Ocilla
now stands.
Ocilla was named after an Indian chief, Ocilla, who was buried there.
Dan Henderson was taken sick at the home of Wiley Whitley, his son-in
law, while the family were moving to Ocilla, and died. His wife died
at Ocilla, after raising a large family of children and
grand-children.
The oldest of Dan and Fareby was Menassee, or "Black Nas." He
represented Irwin county in both branches of the Legislature; was
County Commissioner and active in several official capacities in the
county. He served as Captain of a Company during the War Between the
States, with honor and credit. He married Mary Young, daughter of Rev.
Jacob Young; she died. He then married Mrs. Hobbs, of Ocilla, shortly
before his departure from this world. He lived to see the new
courthouse built at Ocilla. He died at his old homestead near Ocilla,
and was buried at Brushy Creek, where his name was enrolled upon the
membership of the church whose clerk he had been for years. He was one
of the ablest, brightest and most enlightened men of his day, serving
his state, county and country.
William, son of Dan Henderson, was Justice of the Peace at Ocilla;
served as member of the legislature and was clerk of that body. He was
born near Little river and was nursed by Aunt Van Paulk when a child.
He stated that Aunt Van was a very lively and pretty woman. He married
Salanda Cox. She died near Ocilla, leaving:
Dan, who married Thoney Dorminy.
Mattie, who married Dr. John Luke.
Alice, who married Tommie McMillan, son of John.
Cora, who married Tom Ellerby.
Jim, who married Pearl Auvil, of West Virginia.
Albert died; John single.
William next married Berta Swan of Jefferson county. Their children:
Powell died; Fareby and several smaller ones.
Green, son of Dan, married Martha Vickers, daughter of Rev. John
Vickers. She died at Moultrie. He represented Colquitt county in the
legislature.
John, son of Dan, went to Florida and lives in Jacksonville.
Jim, son of Dan, became on the most popular public-spirited men of
South Georgia; a railroad promoter, saw mill and turpentine operator,
a leader in politics and a member of the legislature in both branches.
He married Mattie Paulk, daughter of Reason. Their Children were:
Reason, who married Annie Brown, of Little Rock, Ark.; Augusta, who
married George Dickson; Waldo, Ellen, Nassy and DuBignon, single.
Dan, son of Dan, married Becky Young, daughter of Rev. Jacob Young.
They reside at the old John B. Dorminy place, where Rev. Young raised
his family, the birth-place of his wife. Their children were:
Alder, who married W. Lennon.
Maggie, who married Lucius Tucker.
John, who married Beulag Paulk.
Eugene, who married E.D. Lawhorn.
Lenox, not married. Unie, died at the age of 15. She dropped dead of
heart-failure at school.
Robert, son of Dan, married Margaret Young, daughter of Rev. Jacob
Young. He was Chief of Police of Ocilla. Their children: Annie married
Col. J. Quincy; D.J. married Nellie Dorminey. He is cashier of the
Citizens Band of Ocilla. Nas Tom married Reta McMillan.
Albert, youngest son of Dan, married Annie Mayo. He studied law and
died in Albany, leaving a son, Albert.
Kate, daughter of Dan, married Ben Hobby. He died. She next married
Judge Wiley Whitley. She died, leaving a large family.
Margaret married George Whitley. He died; she then married E.J. Young.
Martha married John Whitley. he died; she then married Luke Harper.
Menassee, or Nas Henderson, the elder, brother of the oldest of the
Hendersons, married Mary Whiddon, daughter of old Lott. He died after
the war, at Peckville. He left a large estate; no children. He was the
first ordinary of Irwin county, also served as sheriff. He hung the
first negro that was legally executed in Irwin county.
He was one of the delegates to the State Convention that endorsed the
resolution for the secession of the State of Georgia. Thomas Young was
the other delegate, he voted against the succession, as instructed by
a majority of the voters of Irwin county who were not in favor of
secession. There were few slaves in Irwin and the people decided to
remain neutral. These facts were stated by the late Captain John
Jackson Henderson, and others familiar with the situation. In the heat
of argument and intense excitement, enthusiasm and patriotism, Nas
Henderson voted with the rest for succession. Not withstanding, the
people of Irwin county were not in favor of succession, when the state
rendered its decision. Irwin mustered out its men and sent as able and
capable a representation to the front as any county in the state, who
remained there during the entire struggle, with credit and honor. Such
men as Capt. Tom Wilcox, Judy Wiley Whitley, Bill Branch, Jake McCook,
Dan Purvis and a host of others who became leading spirits in the
public affairs of the county.
Almost all the old heroes have passed away, but he memories of the old
pioneers who forged their way to the front will not be obliterated
from history's pages. The men who sacrificed life, homes and happiness
to perform their duty to their country, shall never be forgotten.
Betsy, sister of John, Manassee and Dan Henderson, married Micajah
Tucker, son of Rev. Richard Tucker. The other sisters:
Sarah, married Ben Griffin.
Mary, married John McInnis, father of Dan and Jim McInnis, near
Tifton.
Margaret married Jasper Nobles.
Nancy married Tom Paulk, son of Micajah I.
Chrissie married Godfrey Purvis.
Kate married Jacob Paulk, son of old Micajah.
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Please take note that this information came from long ago and has not
been corrected for accuracy. Many of these sketches have names
transposed or just plain wrong information so use this as a starting
point, not the final end to your research. THIS IS NOT AN ORIGINAL
DOCUMENT. It is a summary of the genealogical findings of one man, Gus
Adams, which were unsubstantiated and should be used as such.
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